An Interview with Andy McGregor

The Rise and Inevitable Fall of Lucas Petit, by Andy McGregor, is just about to embark on a nationwide tour. Its creator, Andy McGregor, managed to squeeze out an extra few minutes from his hectic preparations for a cheeky interview with the Mumble;

—

The Mumble – Hello Andrew – you must be excited about your forthcoming tour of Scotland with a certain Lucas Petit – but who is he?

Andy – Lucas is a downtrodden, middle-class man who has lost any zest for life that he once had. His wife hates him, he’s bored at his work and his only joyful experience is when he is alone and munching on a fudge donut from the B&Q cafe. The play focuses on him finding a briefcase that appears to have magical qualities. A stranger, who claims to be God, pushes him to take the case and, in doing so, Lucas starts to live a new life but (as keen observers will be aware if they have read the title of the show) ultimately it leads to his downfall. It’s like Macbeth. But with briefcases. And with words people can understand.

—

The Mumble – Love 2.0 was a great success nationwide, will you be tapping into the same kind of vibe again

Andy – Very much so. We are keen to get those people who enjoyed Love 2.0 to come and check out this show and bring a pal or two. We’ve upped our ante this year with a top class production team and the play has a larger journey than Love 2.0 which was focused on two teenagers. This show is part cabaret and part caper, it never stops moving.

—

The Mumble – I have heard that there is a certain cinematic undertow to Lucas Petit, could you elaborate on that

Andy –Sleeping Warrior’s ethos is to make shows that can only be theatre. So we have had a lot of fun in taking some stereotypical move ideas (such as a training montage) and seeing how we can make that work theatrically. Probably my favourite section of the show is based on the film Entrapment. Lucas has to make his way through a series of lasers to get to the alarm system – I think we’ve found really pleasing ways of achieving effects like this. If anyone has been to see The 39 Steps, then it’s a similar vibe to that. But with briefcases.

—

—

The Mumble – So just like Love, this play is being funded by Creative Scotland again. How does the money help you get your playout there.

Andy – It would be impossible for us to tour this show without CS funding. I don’t think people realise exactly how much money it costs to put on even a small-scale show like ours. There are so many people involved in making a piece of theatre and the materials are so expensive, that financial support is always required to put something on.

—

—

The Mumble – Can you tell us a little about your cast – have you worked with them before?

Andy – I worked with Darren Brownlie on my show Vinyl Idol (that I co-wrote with Debbie Hannan) that was on as part of the Play Pie and a Pint mini musicals season this summer. He is playing the questionable ‘deity’ and it’s a brilliant performance he turns in, showcasing all his singing, acting and dancing talents. I’ve never worked with Ashley Smith before and it’s been a great pleasure. She may be known to some people from her role in Scot’s Squad, she has to play numerous characters throughout and we have a lot of fun in seeing her change from one outrageous creation to another. And finally we have Lucas, who is played by Al Hankinson. He brings a real warmth and quirkiness to the character and can move his body in ways I’ve never seen a human move there body before! It’s a multi-talented cast who are working great together.

—

The Mumble – So whats the future for Sleeping Warriors

Andy – Can’t really think about that just now! We need to keep ourselves focused on this show, try and get as many people to see it as possible and then I can start thinking about the future. Which won’t involve briefcases.